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'What are we supposed to do?' Confusion over defence rights in rural Sask.

The question of how far people can go to defend themselves and their property is dominating public discussion in rural Saskatchewan in light of Gerald Stanley's acquittal in the shooting death of Colten Boushie.

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Gerald Stanley's acquittal in death of Colten Boushie looms over RCMP consultations on rural crime

The question of how far people can go to defend themselves and their property is dominating public discussion, while Indigenous leaders worry about racism and call for more police resources.

The RCMP held a town hall to hear concerns on Thursday evening in the community — about 60 kilometres west of Saskatoon — which is close to where Colten Boushie was shot and killed in August 2016 on Gerald Stanley's farm.

Debate about how far rural landowners can go in defending their property has also flared up recently in Alberta, where a property owner is facing charges after an alleged thief was shot last month near Okotoks, just south of Calgary.

Sawrenko urged the crowd not to take matters into their own hands, and said clarity in the law will have to come from elected officials.

RCMP statistics suggest property crimes, break-ins and thefts are decreasing in Saskatchewan jurisdictions, but people who live in rural communities say that's because they're not calling police due to slow response times. (Olivia Stefanovich/CBC)

But that message wasn't comforting to Pavloff, who said he had $25,000 worth of belongings stolen from his house last year in broad daylight while he was out at a ball game.

"You are violated," said Pavloff. "It wasn't even fun to even walk in the house anymore."

'911 effect'

Although he didn't argue self-defence, Stanley testified that he drew his gun when Boushie and his friends drove onto his rural property to fire warning shots because he thought they were stealing.

Many people who gathered for an RCMP consultation on rural crime in Perdue, Sask., on Thursday called for more police resources. (Olivia Stefanovich/CBC)

Even though people in the community of 334 say fear over rural crime is rising, statistics suggest the Mounties are making improvements.

Property crime in Saskatchewan RCMP districts decreased in 2017 by five per cent compared to 2016, according to the force.

Break-ins are also down by 13 per cent, and thefts declined by two per cent over the same period of time, RCMP say.

'Please report' crime, RCMP say

Grain farmer Daryl Moody has had his truck stolen and yard ransacked.

He said people like him aren't calling for help due to slow response times.

"It's a real challenge for policing," Moody said. "I don't think they have the resources to effectively police the country."

Kamao Cappo, a rancher from Muscowpetung First Nation, told the RCMP community gathering on Thursday that police response times are far worse on reserve than in the rest of rural Saskatchewan. (Olivia Stefanovich/CBC)

The RCMP Biggar detachment that serves Perdue is losing one of its five officers this year, according to Sawrenko.

He said the force can't get more staff if crime continues to be underreported.

About the Author

Olivia Stefanovich is a senior reporter for CBC's Parliamentary Bureau based in Ottawa. She previously worked in Toronto, Saskatchewan and northern Ontario. Connect with her on Twitter at @CBCOlivia. Story tips welcome: olivia.stefanovich@cbc.ca.